PREPPING FOR KETO

You’ve read about the benefits of a ketogenic diet (see here) and something resonated with you strongly enough to inspire the courage to create real change.

Now what?

CONGRATULATIONS!!

First of all, congratulations- it takes real effort to commit to making change. Remember this spark of excitement so you can refer back to it when things get challenging.

YOUR WHY

If you want to take it a step further, consider writing down your goals and your ‘why’- your why is your engine, it’s what carries you forward when the real work begins.

LOGISTICS AND A SMALL HINT

Now, let’s talk about logistics. There’s a lot of info and details to learn. How will you learn what you need to know? There are websites, books, programs. Only you know what feels like the right fit for you. (HINT: We are just about to launch our new online 8 week keto program, but more on that later! To get a sneak peek, go here)

ONRAMPING

But what about preparing for success and what we call an easy ‘onramp’? Well, if you have the time to ease into things, are dealing with any serious health challenges, or are currently eating a very high carb diet, it will really benefit you to take 2-4 weeks to clean things up and taper down to a lower carb way of eating. This will be more comfortable for you then simply diving into the deep end.

TOSS SUGAR AND FLOUR FIRST

Eliminate sugar, find replacements for things made with any type of flour (bread, pasta, cookies, pastries, crackers, etc.) and limit carb intake to whole foods- potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa. Slowly taper those off as well and include more fish, eggs, high quality meats, and vegetables in your diet. Strive for ½ your plate in veggies at every meal.

Once you do all of this it will be much easier on you when you make the final tweaks to get you into full ketosis. And, you’ll probably start feeling so much better already!!

PREP YOUR PANTRY

Now it’s time to really prep the pantry. First things first, get out your garbage bags!! GET RID of all of those things that won’t support your new path! Give them away, throw them away, hide them in anonymous containers if you have to keep them for family members.

GO GROCERY SHOPPING!

Next, let’s get you ready to be prepared at all times with delicious, whole food keto foods. Once you get the hang of what is on the keto list, go shopping and fill your fridge and pantry! (hint: lots of meats and veggies). Find new recipes you like from authors like Maria Emmerich or Leanne Vogel, or go to www.dietdoctor.com or www.ruled.me and you will find so much info without even leaving your house!

SELF CARE IS SELF LOVE

Treat your body to something nice that will reconnect you; something that is caring and blissful. A massage, a pedicure, acupuncture, a float. Send the message that this is something you are doing FOR your body, not TO your body.

RETAIL THERAPY FOR THE WIN

Buy yourself some good gear. (it’s the REI effect. Everyone knows if you buy cool hiking stuff at REI it will get you out into the mountains, right? Well, same theory here.) Buy good kitchen gear if you don’t already have it. Buy a softsided lunchbox or cooler and containers so you can take GOOD food with you. Make sure you have an appealing water bottle to keep you hydrated.

WRITTEN GOALS ARE CLOSER GOALS

Also buy a beautiful journal and some nice pens. Write down your why. Write what you want to get out of all this. Write as often as you can during the process, to inspire you, to vent, to create a record you can later reflect upon.

LABWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Finally, it’s a great idea to get a base set of blood chemistry work done, so you can identify where you are, any areas of concern, and have benchmarks for when things improve!! More details on that later; reach out if you have specific questions.

GO OUT AND CRUSH IT

All right! Now you are ready to crush it!!

Good luck and congratulations on taking this step towards your best health!